Tripura announces economic aid for girl child

Agartala, March 20: The Left Front government of Tripura Saturday announced a special economic package for girl child in families living below the poverty line (BPL) to continue their education and maintain the minimum required nourishment.

"Under the scheme, the state government would provide Rs.300 to the mother of girl child every month for their care and education," said Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

"The scheme would be valid for girl child of a family living below the poverty line (BPL) till she attains 16 years of age," Sarkar told a meeting organised to formally launch the programme.

The scheme is for families having maximum of two girl children.

In Tripura, 68 percent of the 3.8 million population belongs to the BPL category.

According to the chief minister, the male-female ratio in Tripura has been showing a downward trend and this forced the state government to undertake a slew of initiatives under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

"The scheme would help maintain gender balance in the state," Sarkar said.

The sex ratio in Tripura is 948 females per thousand males.

"While gender equality is being upheld, female infants on many occasions are still found dumped in trash," he pointed out.

Sarkar said that the Tripura government has already undertaken a series of programmes to declare the northeastern state as fully literate by this year end.

"Our government wants to enrol every child in school and bring down the dropout ratio to zero."

Sarkar also announced an increase in the monthly allowance for aged rickshaw pullers, tannery and bidi workers, widows, women deserted by their husbands and the disabled.